University of Connecticut Athletics
HookC Return Home Against Butler
5/9/2025 10:41:00 AM | General
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn baseball team (30-18, 14-4 BIG EAST) returns back to Elliot Ballpark for a three-game series against the Butler Bulldogs (14-34, 3-12 BIG EAST). The series begins on Saturday, May 10 with a doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m. with game two following approx. 45 mins after game one. The series finale is on Sunday, May 11 at 12:05 p.m. All three games will be on FloSports on the BIG EAST Digital Network. Saturday's games can be heard on New Radio 1410 AM and Sunday's game can be heard on Fox Sport Radio 97.9 FM
Huskies and Bulldogs... The Huskies are 11-1 all-time against the Bulldogs including a series sweep in Indianapolis last season. UConn won two-of-three in the last meeting in Storrs in 2023.Â
The Huskies clinched a spot to the BIG EAST Championship at Prasco Park after their win on Sunday at Villanova. The Huskies have an opportunity to win the BIG EAST regular season title for the fifth-straight season. The Huskies can clinch a co-championship with a series sweep vs. Butler and Xavier beating Creighton once in Omaha. If the Musketeers win the series in Omaha and UConn sweeps, the Huskies would claim the outright championship.
The UConn offense totaled 55 runs in a series sweep at Villanova. It was the most runs scored in a three-game weekend since the Huskies totaled 56 runs in a tournament at Austin Peay against Missouri State (12), Austin Peay (19) and Alcorn State (25).
The Huskies scored a record 29 runs against a BIG EAST opponent in the middle game of the series (Boston College 28, 1996).Â
Sam Biller hit three home runs in the series opener, the first for a UConn player since Maddix Dalena against St. John's in 2024. Biller finished the weekend with 13 runs batted in and earned muliple National Player of the Week honors (D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game).Â
Caleb Shpur went 7-7 and reached base eight times in the middle game of the series. It was the first seven-hit game for a Husky since Dennis Donovan did it against Iona in 1979.
UConn also hit seven home runs in the middle game of the series and hit 13 long balls with Biller (4), Daniels (3), Minick (2) and MacArthur (2), Root (1) and Shpur (1) all hitting round trippers.
The Huskies had their season long win streak of 13 games ended on April 29 against Rutgers. The Huskies win streak help propel UConn to a 16-3 mark in the month of April and put them back in the NCAA Tournament at-large picture and in the race for the BIG EAST regular season title.
The UConn pitching staff ranks 39th in the country with 9.5 strikeouts per nine this season.11 UConn pitchers have more strikeouts than innings pitched this season. Ian Cooke leads the Huskies with 62 strikeouts, Pudvar has 56 and Afthim has 43.
The Huskies rank 11th in the country with 120 stolen bases this season. Caleb Shpur leads the way with 36 bags, ranking eighth nationally. Sam Biller has 18 SB, Rispoli with 15, Minick with 13, Daniels with 10 and Dougherty with 9. The 112 stolen bases with 10 games to play already ranks 5th most in program history.The Huskies are averaging 2.50 stolen bases per game.
Left fielder Sam Biller has been an RBI machine in the team's last 10 games with 29 runs batted in over that stretch. The Los Angeles native had four home runs and 13 RBI in the latest series against Villanova. The outfielder had a three-homer game in the series opener and is third on the team with 12 home runs this season. Biller is hitting .299 with 10 doubles and is third on the team with 50 RBI.Â
Freshman catcher Connor Lane  has gotten into the swing of things in his last 12 starts dating back to April 9th. The Old Saybrook, CT native has collected 20 hits including eight doubles and four home runs. He has driven in 19 over that span including a career-high five RBI at Boston College.Â
Rob Rispoli has been a spark at the top of the UConn order this season. The shortstop has been named to the Brooks Wallace Watch List, an award given to the best SS in college baseball. The redshirt freshman is hitting .341 with a .473 on-base percentage. The UConn SS is tied for the team lead with 31 walks and 14 hit by pitches. He has also stolen 16 bases this year. The Huskies are 27-12 when he hits in the leadoff spot and leads the team with 21 multi-hit games. His 60 hits are third most on the team.
Ryan Daniels has had a breakout junior senior after dealing with injuries his first two seasons in Storrs. He is currently in a hot stretch with nine home runs in the last 11 games. He registered his first career multi-homer game against Army with a two-run HR and grand slam to total a career-high six RBI and followed it up with a multi-HR game at Villanova. The Meriden, CT native is hitting .354 with 55 runs scored (leads team), 13 doubles (leads team), two triples, 13 home runs and 55 runs batted in (second most). The infield/outfielder has a .470 OBP with 31 walks (tied for team lead).Daniels just recorded his 100th career hit against Villanova.
In the series finale at FAU, Daniels hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning to lift UConn to its first win of the year. The home run was part of the first career four-hit game for the infielder/outfielder. Daniels followed up that performance with a game-tying home run against No. 14 Vanderbilt to eventually earn the Huskies a ranked win.Â
Sophomore Tyler Minick has already taken a big jump from his freshman to sophomore year. The Reading, Pa. native is hitting .369 batting average, 18 home runs (7th in the NCAA) and 60 runs batted in (25th in NCAA). The corner INF has a career-high with 24 walks and is slugging at a .756 clip. Minick recorded a multi-homer game in the series opener against Seton Hall. The sophomore already has four career grand slams with two of them this season (FAU & Creighton).Minick leads the BIG EAST with his 18 homers and is tied for first with 60 runs batted in. Minick is at 99 career hits as a sophomore.Â
Home Runs
Mike Olt, 2010 ..................... 23
Brian Packin, 1999................ 19
George Springer, 2010 .......... 18
Jason Grabowski, 1996.......... 18
Tyler Minick, 2025 .................18
Long time Husky Bryan Padilla registered his 200th career hit with a double in the 8th inning against Creighton in the series opener. Padilla becomes the 24th Husky in program history to reach the 200-hit mark. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native has played in 219 games with the Huskies and racked up 217 career hits including 25 home runs. The infielder has scored 149 runs, driven in 156 runs and walked 116 times.
Games Played
Chris Winkel, 2017-21Â Â Â 243
Billy Ferriter, 2010-2013Â Â Â 242
Mike Nemeth, 2008-11Â Â Â 241
Bobby Melley, 2013-16Â Â Â 241
Bryan Daniello, 2013-16Â Â Â 224
John Topaa, 2016-19Â Â Â 222
Bryan Padilla, 2022-25Â Â Â 219
Hits
Mike Nemeth, 2008-11Â Â Â 331
LJ Mazzilli 2010-13Â Â Â 295
Bobby Melley, 2013-16.   290
Billy Ferriter 2010-13Â Â Â 288
George Springer, 2009-11Â Â Â 242
Pierre LePage, 2008-10Â Â Â 237
John Toppa, 2016-19Â Â Â 237
Dennis Donovan, 2004-07Â Â Â 236
Pat Mahoney, 2005-08Â Â Â 233
Clarke Caudill, 1997-00Â Â Â 232
Todd Rosenthal, 1989-92Â Â Â 227
Anthony Prato, 2017-19Â Â Â 227
Chris Winkel, 2017-21Â Â Â 222
Vinny Siena, 2013-15Â Â Â 221
Bryan Padilla, 2022-25Â Â Â 217
Walks
Sean Irey, 1991-94Â Â Â 143
Jack Sundberg, 2013-16Â Â Â 134
Mike Nemeth, 2008-11Â Â Â 134
Bobby Melley, 2013-16Â Â Â 132
George Springer, 2009-11Â Â Â 128
Bryan Padlla, 2022-2025Â Â Â 116
UConn closer Brady Afthim has been one of the top closers in the country. The RHP is ranked No. 15 by D1Baseball.com on the top 100 closers list. He has been named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.Â
Afthim has appeared in 18 games for UConn this year and is 2-1 with eight saves and leads the team with a 1.50 ERA. In 30.0 innings, the Windham, Maine native has allowed five earned runs and struck out 43 batters while holding opponents to a .207 average against. The tri-captain has now appeared in 88 games, ranking 2nd all-time in program history. The 16 career saves he has registered is 9th all-time.
Saves
Justin Willis, 2021-23Â Â Â 28
Mike James, 2001-04Â Â Â 22
Kevin Vance, 2009-11Â Â Â 21
Patrick Ruotolo, 2014-16Â Â Â 20
David Erickson, 2005-09Â Â Â 20
Jacob Wallace, 2017-19Â Â Â 19
Matt Karl, 2005-08Â Â Â 18
P.J. Poulin, 2016-18Â Â Â 16
Brady Afthim, 2022-2025Â Â Â 14
Appearances
Dan Feehan, 2010-13.   96
David Erickson, 2005-09Â Â Â 87
CJ Dandeneau, 2016-19Â Â Â 87
Brady Afthim, 2022-2025Â Â Â 88
Ian Cooke has struggled to start his 2025 campaign but the 2024 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year has looked strong in seven relief appearance. The New Milford, Conn. native has pitched 25.2 innings, allowed three earned runs, walked five and struck out 45 batters. Cooke closed out the middle game of the series at Xavier with 3.0 shutout innings to earn his first save of the year. In BIG EAST play, Cooke has recorded three saves and one win with all four of those outings lasting 3.0 innings or more. The senior has logged 218.0 career innings and recorded 17 wins on the mound for the Huskies. He currently has 262 strikeouts, ranking fourth in program history.Â
Strikeouts
Mason Feole, 2017-19Â Â Â 278
Tim Cate, 2016-18Â Â Â 270
Anthony Kay, 2014-16Â Â Â 263
Ian Cooke, 2022-2025Â Â Â 262
CF Caleb Shpur has been one of the best CF's in the country according to defensive runs saved. The East Canaan, CT native is 2nd amongst CF's with 12.73 defensive runs saved this season. He only trails McNeee State's Connor Westenburg (18.19).
The UConn outfielder also leads the team and the BIG EAST Conference with 36 stolen bases after stealing 26 bases a year ago. The 36 stolen bases is tied for 8th in the nation and is also climbing the single-season list for most stolen bases in a UConn single season.
Stolen Bases
Dennis Dwyer, 1993.............. 40
David Smith, 2023................ 39
Dennis Dwyer, 1994.............. 39
Caleb Shpur, 2025................ Â 36
